Cap feeding apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for improved feeding of jar or bottle caps from a supply area to a pick up point where the edges thereof are engaged by bottles or jars passing therebeneath for application during or after a filling operation. The improved track apparatus includes a pair of opposed track elements each having an inwardly extending, upwardly directed face for supporting a margin of a cap area wherein the tracks are of reduced width so as to provide an open space of increased width therebetween, and a relieved or cut out portion providing a stop element for engaging the lower marginal portions of a cap and detaining it in a predetermined position to be picked up by passing jar or bottles. The invention is an improvement over previous devices intended for the same purpose but usually constructed so as to include spring loaded, transversely acting pins. The apparatus of the invention engages the jar cap on a marginal portion thereof which is always of uniform, circular construction and accordingly, caps with indented or textured skirt portions may be satisfactorily handled at high rates by this device.

United States Patent [191 Raatz et al.

1 Apr. 2, 1974 CAP FEEDING APPARATUS {75] lnventors: Helmuth E. Raatz, Mount Prospect; Eugene Melzer, La Grange, both of Ill.

[73] Assignee: Continental Can Company, Inc.,

New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Feb. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 223,233

Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner--Horace M. Culver Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lockwood, Dewey, Zickert & Alex 57 ABSTRACT An apparatus for improved feeding of jar or bottle caps from a supply area to a pick up point where the edges thereof are engaged by bottles or jars passing therebeneath for application during or after a filling operation. The improved track apparatus includes a pair of opposed track elements each having an inwardly extending, upwardly directed face for supporting a margin of a cap area wherein the tracks are of reduced width so as to provide an open space of increased width thercbetween, and a relieved or cut out portion providing a stop element for engaging the lower marginal portions of a cap and detaining it in a predetermined position to be picked up by passing jar or bottles. The invention is an improvement over previous devices intended for the same purpose but usually constructed so as to include spring loaded, transversely acting pins. The apparatus of the invention engages the jar cap on a marginal portion thereof which is always of uniform, circular construction and accordingly, caps with indented or textured skirt portions may be satisfactorily handled at high rates by this device.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing F igures CAP FEEDING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for handling jar or bottle caps, and more particularly, is directed to an improved cap feeding apparatus which includes a track assembly used to guide a succession of caps from a storage area to a point above a conveyor or the like and to position the caps for pickup by jars or bottles moved past the feeding apparatus by the conveyor.

' It is conventional in the food packing and similar industries to provide means for filling bottles or jaws which include an associated capping mechanism. One form of jar cap feeding apparatuswhich is well known in the prior art includes a guide way for a plurality of caps formed by a pair of opposed track units of a mirror image configuration and each including an upwardly directed surface portion along which a portion of the cap slides as the cap moves from a storage area to a pickup or capping area. conventionally, the caps pass along the track to a predetermined point where they are engaged by a pair of pins which are spring urged along an axis coplanar with and perpendicular to the direction of cap travel into an extended position for engaging the cap skirt. The cap is thus held under a slight but definite retaining force against forward movement so that it will not fall from the guide or track under the weight of caps stacked behind it but loosely enough such that when the leading edge of a jar moved beneath a cap engages the forward edge of the cap, the cap is drawn along and then removed from the track by the jar.

Conventionally, the pins of the type referredto abov have rounded inner surface portions and are urged transversely of the tracks by small coil springs. An arrangement of this type is generally satisfactory for many capping operations, however, such an apparatus is not always able to be used satisfactorily with caps having textured skirts, and especially those caps wherein a series of grooves or recesses are provided so as to enhance the appearance of the cap or for improved gripping. In such a case, the pins commonly engage the detent or grooves on one cap while not engaging them on another or succeeding cap, with the result that the caps are not held with uniform force, and satisfactory feeding is not able to be achieved.

Accordingly, there has been a need for an improved apparatus for feeding and holding jar caps in a desired position for pickup by jars or bottles advanced past the pickup point in a capping operation. An improved apparatus of this type would desirably be of simple construction so as to be highly reliable and be constructed and arranged so as not to depend on engaging a major portion of the cap skirt in the interest of uniformity in operation.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for handling jar caps.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cap or closure feeding assembly having a particular form of track arrangement which serves to guide and position caps just prior to assembly thereof with bottles or jars to be capped.

Still another object is to provide a cap track which is adapted to perform a detaining or positioning operation on the caps on a production line in a simple and straight-forward manner.

A further object is to provide a cap feeding apparatus having a pair of opposed cap positioning tracks which are easy to manufacture and which are reliable in use.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus which includes, jar cap feeding tracks having a particular form of upwardly directed surfaces thereon so as to engage a succession of jar caps to provide positive stopping and at the same time to permit controlled and accurate release of such caps when they are positioned over the neck portion of a jar with which the caps are to be associated in use.

Another object is to provide a cap feeding apparatus which engages only the lower'margin of a cap and which does not depend for operation on engagement with a major portion of the cap skirt.

Another object is to provide a cap feeding assembly which includes a pair of improved cap tracks each containing vertically arranged detents in the track, means for maintaining a downward force on the caps positioned in the track, and means guiding the cap so as to permit removal therefrom when a force is applied to the cap in a predetermined direction.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved in practice by providing a cap feeding apparatus which includes means for engaging the top portion of a cap, means in the form of a track having pairs of upwardly directed surfaces for engaging the lower, outwardly directed margins of the cap skirt, opposed notches at the junction of the two pairs of surfaces and adapted to engage a portion of the skirt, and resilient means positioned opposite to the notches and adapted to exert a biasing force on the jar cap.

The manner in which these and other objects and advantages are achieved in practice will become more clearly apparent when reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention set forth by way of example and shown in the accompanying drawing in which like reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus of the invention, showing a feeding assembly including a chute, a cap track and a guide assembly for positioning jar caps for attachment to jars or bottles passing therebeneath;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a preferred form of track used to position caps for pickup; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a pair of cap tracks showing the position of the tracks in respect to each other and in respect to a cap received therebetween.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION While it will be understood that the invention might be embodied in a number of different forms, and that the advantages thereof may be achieved in different ways, an illustrative embodiment of the invention will be described wherein the caps are of a type having a plurality of grooves in the skirt portion thereof, wherein a succession of caps is fed downwardly from an extended cap feeding chute and wherein the feeding assembly terminates at a position disposed just above the path of a succession of jars passing along a predetermined axis. Since it is understood that an operation of this type may be carried out with the jars or caps in different spatial relations, description or claims using terminology relating to spatial orientation is not intended to be taken in the limiting sense, since it is understood that this language is used for clarity of explanation and that the invention may obviously be carried out in positions and orientations different from the position illustrated herein.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows the invention to be embodied in a cap feeding apparatus generally designated and adapted to receive and position a succession of jar caps 12 for operative association with the neck portions 14 of a succession of containers such as the jars 16 passing beneath the apparatus 10. In the form shown, the feeding apparatus includes a pair of oppositely disposed, generally symmetrical guide tracks 18 disposed at the lower end of a feeding chute 20, and each including a generally vertically extending guide surface 22 adapted to engage or remain closely spaced apart from the skirt portions 24 of a succession of passing closures 12, and thus partially to determine the path taken by the closures.

The lower portion of each guide track 18 includes means in the form of a rear rail 24 and a forward rail 26, for supporting the closures 12. Each of the rails 24, 26 respectively has upwardly directed support surface 28, 30. In the preferred form, the upwardly directed surface 28 of the rail 24 is generally straight, while the upwardly directed surface 30 of the forward rail 26 is formed on an arc of large radius. The rails 24, 26 also include respective side surface portions 32, 34 which are spaced apart from each other a distance somewhat less than the diameter of the cap or closure 12.

The upper or rearward rail 24 terminates at its forward end in a slightly angled surface 36, which lies just opposite a counterpart surface 38 forming the rear edge portion of the forward rail 26.

Accordingly in this embodiment, positioning means for the closure 12 is provided in the form ofa notch 40 lying between the forward and rearward rails 26, 24. As may be noted from a consideration of FIG. 1, caps having the lower edges 42 thereof supported by the upwardly directed surface 28 of the rear rail 24 will slide down in the chute 20 by gravity, with or without the force of additional caps behind them, so that the leading cap or closure 12 occupies the position thereof shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. At this point, the rear surface 38 of the forward guide rail 34 engages the margin 44 of the cap lyingjust above the lower edge or surface 42 thereof, but lying below any gripping grooves 46 or the like which may be formed in the skirt portion 24 of the closure 12.

As also shown in FIG. 1, the lower surface 48 of a fixed guide assembly 50 preferably helps initially to position the caps or closures 12 in the tracks 18, while a slight downward pressure on the upper surfaces 52 of the closures 12 is maintained by the lower surface 54 of a movable top guide 56 which is mounted, as at point 58, for pivotal movement. Biasing means in the form of a spring 60 is provided to urge the guide 56 downward under a slight force, thereby preventing caps from being released from the position shown by the force of gravity or by forces imposed by a stack of closures behind the closures which is foremost in the feeding apparatus 10.

However, as a jar 16 passes beneath the cap in a manner customary in the jar capping art, continued forward movement thereof will serve to lift the forward portion of the cap slightly, rocking the cap about the points formed by the edge of the surface 38 and moving the guide 56 slightly upward to permitting the lower portions 42 of the caps to rest on the arcuate upper surface 30 of the forward rail 26. Having been released from the position shown in FIG. 1, the cap may be smoothly removed by passage of its associated jar 16 past the apparatus 10. The lower surface 54 of the guide 56 is contoured so as to permit a continued downward force to be exerted on the jar cap as it is removed and to insure proper positioning thereof with respect to the associated jar 16. The positioning means illustrated in the drawings is in the form of an open groove or slot 40 which serves to separate the two rail units 24, 26 from each other. This form of positioning means is actually made merely for convenience in manufacturing, however, and it will be understood that the provision of the slot itself is not necessary, but only the provision of the rearwardly directed surface 38 of the forward rail 26. It is also anticipated that another equivalent form of positioning means might be provided. However, in keeping with the objects of the invention, the positioning means is fixed rather than movable, and is adapted to act on the lowermost margin of the closure so as to be certain of not engaging grooves or indentations 46 formed in the side walls or skirt 24 of the closure. Whereas it will be understood that the cap feeding as sembly of the invention and in particular, the track units 18 are advantageously used with caps or closure 12 having a plurality of flutes, grooves or indentations 46 therein, the form of track referred to herein works equally well with caps having smooth skirt portions. However, prior art devices depending for operation upon spring urged or other retainers or positioning means adapted to engage the side wall portion of cap skirts are not satisfactorily used in all cases with caps having grooved or other highly textured skirt portions. Thus, the apparatus of the invention is equally suitable for use with a large variety of currently available jar and bottle caps.

Referring now to FIG. 1, in the interest of clarity, the upper or following cap disposed just behind the cap 12 being fed onto the jar 16 is shown to be spaced apart from the lower cap 12. In use, it is understood that this condition might occur in passing, but normally, the caps 12 would be touching one another with the front portions of the following caps touching the rear portions of the leading caps, thus, in the case of a full chute 20, exerting a considerable force on the lower cap. However, it is well known to those skilled in the art to fix the tension on the guide 36 to compensate for the number of caps normally contained in a chute.

Although the present invention is characterized by apparent simplicity, it is recognized by those skilled in the art that it is not uncommon today for caps to be fed in a container filling operation at cyclic rates of up to l,000-l,200, or even more closures per minute, and that at such speeds, the possibilities of malfunction become extremely important, because even an occasional or slight misalignment or' malfunction in the feeding means may necessitate recapping, refilling, or even discarding several hundred containers, even if the defect is only transitory or short-lived.

Accordingly, the present invention provides means for further improvement and added reliability in cap filling operations, and provides an improved feeding assembly having a number of advantages and characteristics, including those pointed out specifically herein and others which are inherent in the invention. A preferred embodiment of the invention having been set forth by way of example, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

I. A cap feeding apparatus for directing a succession of container closures, each having an upper surface portion, a circumferential side wall portion and a lower circumferential edge portion, along a predetermined path and for positioning said closures for pickup by passing containers, said apparatus comprising, in combination, guide means disposed closely adjacent the side wall portions of a succession of said closures to prevent movement thereof laterally of said path, means for engaging the upper surface portions of said closures to prevent substantial movement thereof toward said upper surfaces thereof, means adapted to support the lower edge portions of said closures from the underside, and fixed immovable means for positioning said closures at a predetermined point along said path in advance of the discharge end thereof by engagement of said closures just above the lowermost edge portions thereof, said fixed immovable means also permitting release of said closures from said point for further movement along said path upon upward movement of the forward portions of said closures due to engagement by said containers, whereby said closures will remain at said point until engaged by one of said containers for removal from said feeding apparatus.

2. A cap feeding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for engaging said upper surface portions of said closures comprises a fixed guide and a resiliently mounted guide having portions for engaging said upper surface portions of said closures, said resiliently mounted guide being disposed with the closureengaging portion thereof between said fixed immovable means.

3. An apparatus for feeding a succession of container closures each having an upper surface portion and a skirt portion terminating in a circumferential bottom edge along a predetermined path and positioning said closures adjacent a succession of passing containers for removal of said closures by said containers, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a pair of oppositely directed track units, each track unit having side wall portions facing .each other and adapted to guide the skirt portions of a succession of said closures along said path, support rails on said track units having upwardly directed surfaces for supportingly engaging each of said closures from underneath the bottom edge thereof, means disposed between said tracks and disposed thereabove for engaging the top surface portions of said closures to permit only limited movement of said closures toward said upper surfaces thereof, and fixed immovable closure positioning means in said path intermediate the opposite ends thereof for engaging said closures just above said bottom edge portions thereof, said positioning means being adapted to engage and stop a closure moving along said rails in one position of said closure, and to release said closure in another position of said closure for completing its movement along said path.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said support rails are in the form of forward and rearward support rails for each track, the upwardly directed surfaces of said rails being slightly spaced apart from each other to provide notches which present said fixed immovable closure positioning means.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein a rearward edge portion of each of said forward rails presents said fixed immovable closure positioning means.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for engaging said top surface portion of said closure comprises a fixed guide portion and a movable guide portion, said movable guide portion being mounted for pivotal movement and resiliently urged into a position overlying a cap with the lower surface of said movable guide being adapted to engage a cap positioned by said positioning means generally centrally of said closure.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said tracks includes a forward and a rearward rail, the forward rail having a generally curved upwardly directed surface, and the rearward rail having a generally flat upwardly directed surface, and said forward rail terminating at the rear thereof in a relatively steeply inclined positioning surface. 

1. A cap feeding apparatus for directing a succession of container closures, each having an upper surface poRtion, a circumferential side wall portion and a lower circumferential edge portion, along a predetermined path and for positioning said closures for pickup by passing containers, said apparatus comprising, in combination, guide means disposed closely adjacent the side wall portions of a succession of said closures to prevent movement thereof laterally of said path, means for engaging the upper surface portions of said closures to prevent substantial movement thereof toward said upper surfaces thereof, means adapted to support the lower edge portions of said closures from the underside, and fixed immovable means for positioning said closures at a predetermined point along said path in advance of the discharge end thereof by engagement of said closures just above the lowermost edge portions thereof, said fixed immovable means also permitting release of said closures from said point for further movement along said path upon upward movement of the forward portions of said closures due to engagement by said containers, whereby said closures will remain at said point until engaged by one of said containers for removal from said feeding apparatus.
 2. A cap feeding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for engaging said upper surface portions of said closures comprises a fixed guide and a resiliently mounted guide having portions for engaging said upper surface portions of said closures, said resiliently mounted guide being disposed with the closure-engaging portion thereof between said fixed immovable means.
 3. An apparatus for feeding a succession of container closures each having an upper surface portion and a skirt portion terminating in a circumferential bottom edge along a predetermined path and positioning said closures adjacent a succession of passing containers for removal of said closures by said containers, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a pair of oppositely directed track units, each track unit having side wall portions facing each other and adapted to guide the skirt portions of a succession of said closures along said path, support rails on said track units having upwardly directed surfaces for supportingly engaging each of said closures from underneath the bottom edge thereof, means disposed between said tracks and disposed thereabove for engaging the top surface portions of said closures to permit only limited movement of said closures toward said upper surfaces thereof, and fixed immovable closure positioning means in said path intermediate the opposite ends thereof for engaging said closures just above said bottom edge portions thereof, said positioning means being adapted to engage and stop a closure moving along said rails in one position of said closure, and to release said closure in another position of said closure for completing its movement along said path.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said support rails are in the form of forward and rearward support rails for each track, the upwardly directed surfaces of said rails being slightly spaced apart from each other to provide notches which present said fixed immovable closure positioning means.
 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein a rearward edge portion of each of said forward rails presents said fixed immovable closure positioning means.
 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for engaging said top surface portion of said closure comprises a fixed guide portion and a movable guide portion, said movable guide portion being mounted for pivotal movement and resiliently urged into a position overlying a cap with the lower surface of said movable guide being adapted to engage a cap positioned by said positioning means generally centrally of said closure.
 7. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said tracks includes a forward and a rearward rail, the forward rail having a generally curved upwardly directed surface, and the rearward rail having a generally flat upwardly directed surface, and said forward rail terMinating at the rear thereof in a relatively steeply inclined positioning surface. 